


A Walk in the Park

by them1ghtypen



Series: A Fire Still Burns: Anthology [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Alternative Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Vampires, Werewolf Mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 02:52:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17014221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/them1ghtypen/pseuds/them1ghtypen
Summary: Rukia lives with a coven of vampires and is eager to get out and see if werewolves are really as bad as they seem. She just so happens to run into one. On a full moon. What could possibly go wrong?





	A Walk in the Park

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy.

The fact that he had missed the smell at first was a testament to how distracted he was. When he’d pulled into the seedy little gas station, moonrise had been mere minutes away. But this place had cheap diesel. It might have been part gas station, part bar and sleep station for truckers, but the men there weren’t too tough. Sure, they were from all walks of life, but the look in their eyes was the same. They knew how to handle themselves if a fight broke out. When he’d stepped in to pay at the register, he had almost wished for a fight. But it was close, and he was more dangerous than any of them would ever be. He had to get out of there. And by moonrise, he had.

It wasn’t easy taming the beast, but through the last few years Ichigo Kurosaki had managed. It was still the hardest thing he dealt with each month. At least he’d gotten out of that station alright. He’d almost regressed, and Ichigo shuddered to think of himself as he’d been during his first changes.

He stared at the full moon as he drove the old, nearly deserted highway except for all-night travelers like he was. He felt the excitement in his chest, the pacing in the back of his mind and the restlessness itching in his limbs.

The moon proved a great distraction. Because he’d let the cooler night air invade the cab instead of the chilly AC, he had missed the smell until he was at least two hours away from that stupid gas station.

It wasn’t bad, but BO was BO, and anger rose in his chest. It shouldn’t have taken him so long to scent it. His nose was sensitive, especially around this time, and as his brain processed the information, he almost froze and couldn’t drive.

He was absolutely sure it was a female. Her skin smelled light, airy and maybe even a cold type of scent overlaid by sweat, no doubt because she was buried under his covers and tossed clothes. He cringed to think how they might smell to her, but now was not the time. Her cold, kind of acid scent – reminiscent of a high school chem lab – was very intriguing, but it was almost like it wasn’t…quite…her.

Sometimes it sucked being a werewolf and having such a sensitive nose. Most of the time he didn't know what to make of what he _did_ smell.

He supposed he really couldn’t complain. He and the wolf inside of him really quite agreed on many things; well, with the exception of killing – _hunting_ his wolf interjected – needing to run on full moons, being restless all the time, feeling in need of a pack, howling out his loneliness, wanting a mate, picking fights… At least he could control himself. Ninety-nine percent of the time.

Rest stop one mile.

Ichigo sighed. He supposed he should be grateful. His first few changes were not optional, and completely controlled by the moon. After his tenth complete and successful change the moon held less sway. He could control when he changed, and after another month he was able to change whenever he wanted. The moon, however, still demanded his submission every month. And while he would never admit to it out loud, he was lonely.

A year or so back he’d met a small pack of werewolves. He’d known nothing about changing, only knowing the fictional signs of the supernatural before he really believed he was a wolf. And apparently, there were those people born with the ability to change, and there were the one percent, the outcasts, those that were changed from human to harboring a monster.

Outcasts were very much unwanted. The purebloods, as they’d called themselves, believed the changed humans created trouble, were unmanageable and volatile and would expose their secret. It really wasn’t too dissimilar from wild wolf packs. They despised outsiders just as much as the human purebloods did. He’d run before they could decide what their “council” would make of him.

No one wanted him, and he had no one.

The truck’s breaks squeaked a bit as he slowly came to a stop in a long space designed for rigs like his. He thrust the gearshift into park, and sighed. He just hoped this went well.

“Come on out. I know you’re there.”

To her credit, the girl said nothing and didn’t move, but her heartbeat betrayed her. He had good hearing, and with the moon’s heaviness pulling his wolf close to the surface, everything was heightened. Her heart pounded faster.

“Look little girl—”

A gasp of indignation filled the cab before he heard her clap a hand over her mouth. He chuckled slightly, and told the truth.

“I don’t want to kick you out. So long as you show yourself, I won’t. Just come up here.”

It took a few seconds, but slowly, he heard her peel back the covers from her body. He hadn’t been looking in the back, but at the soft rustle of sheets, he glanced over his shoulder.

His heart nearly stopped. However, it wasn’t because her eyes glittered violet in the moonlight glaring through the windshield. It wasn’t because of her short, tussled hair sleek as a raven’s wing. And it wasn’t because her skin looked like moonlight itself. When his scent lessened as hers was uncovered, he could feel the sharp sting up his nostrils that made his eyes water. He felt himself stiffen and a growl was already rumbling in his throat.

She smelled like vampire. His nostrils flared.

“Why the hell are you here?” he ground out. The words almost hurt coming out of his throat, and he realized he was so close to changing. Had she come to kill him? But why wait until now? Why not do it when he was driving? _Yet she had a pulse._

“Look I just needed a ride—”

Before he knew it, her neck was encased in his hand. “Were you going to kill me?”

He saw the disbelief on her face before her eyes widened. Her scent of fear lessened but he could still feel her pulse thrumming beneath his hands. She _was_ human, but must have lived with vampires for a long time. It seemed to seep out of her skin and sting his palm, but he refused to let go.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, though it was a little garbled. “You’re a werewolf.” She struggled a bit. “Please. I just ran away. I swear I’m not—”

In an instant, as the words siphoned through his ears, he let her go. “What?”

She coughed and spluttered before her eyes came back to his face and she ate it up like she was starving.

“What did you say?” he said again, though with a lot less shock and a lot more anger.

“I said you’re a werewolf. I’ve never seen a werewolf before. My brother-in-law said they were ugly and smelled foul and were volatile, but…you’re not ugly.” She crept forward a bit and delicately sniffed near his neck. “Definitely don’t smell bad.” She leaned back but her eyes remained fixed on his face. “And you don’t seem _overly_ volatile.”

He was speechless. Who the hell was this girl?

“What?” she said defensively at his continued stare.

“Why were you running away?” he finally managed. “Did they hurt you?”

“What? No, no. I’ve lived with them since I was ten.”

“How the fuck did they manage that?”

She full out laughed. “You swore! Oh, I love it.”

Ichigo pulled back and wondered quickly whether or not she was insane.

“I’m sorry. The vamps never swear, and I know it irritates them so I do it all the time. Except around my brother-in-law. He’s sort of…influential.” She cocked her head to the right. “Not sure I should’ve told you that.”

He scoffed. “Don’t have to worry about it. I’m an outcast. Don’t have a pack, anyone, or anywhere I belong.”

“Oh. Oh, well… that’s too bad. 

“I suppose so,” he shrugged. “But you never answered my question – about you running away?”

“Oh, that,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Like I said I’ve lived with the vamps since I was ten—”

“And you’re now…?

“Twenty-four, and all I’ve ever had is their opinion. I go to college and all that, but they’re so…so…stiff, I guess you could say. They have so many rules and are so proper and I just wanted to get out for a while. Plus, I always wanted to meet a werewolf, to see if what they all said was true.”

“Wonderful time to try to meet one.”

“Huh?”

“Full moon.”

“Well, how was I supposed to know you were one? It’s not like I can smell you and immediately think ‘hey, it smells like wet dog’ and know you’re a wolf. I barely managed to make it to that gas station around the time the vamps were all waking up. None of the other patrons looked as eager to leave as you so I hijacked your cab.”

Ichigo shook his head and pinched the bridge of nose. He sighed. “How did you even get to be with the vamps in the first place?”

She blushed a little. “My sister Hisana met one of them and they were soul mates. She was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer ten months later. She asked him to turn her into a vampire, so he did.”

He raised an eyebrow. “But?”

“Look,” she rushed on. “I mean, I’m glad she’s still alive and all but… It’s like I don’t even have a sister anymore. I’m the only one there that’s human, and they spend so much time together, I…” She shrugged and left the sentence hanging.

“Felt left out.”

Her face heated again, but she nodded. “Besides, they’re pretty lofty sometimes. After living in an orphanage with Hisana until I was ten, you learn pretty fast that there are two sides to every story. And I don’t believe that everything the vampires say about the werewolves is true. I wanted to find out for myself. They’d never let me talk to one, and I’m pretty sure werewolves wouldn’t go near the vamps just to talk to me. Besides Hisana… She’s not quite the same anymore. So, I…ran away. Even if it’s just one opinion, I want to know both sides so _I_ know where I stand on the issue.” She rubbed her arms. “I hate being ignorant.”

“I can tell.”

“Don’t smile at me!”

“What? I don’t meet many human beings that share the same opinions as I do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s put it this way: come sit in the front seat and I’ll tell you about werewolves if you tell me about vampires.”

Her eyes lit up like gems. “Deal!”

00000

The silence was slightly awkward as Ichigo pulled out of the rest stop. They were a few miles down the road, safely driving 70 mph before she spoke.

“I’m Rukia, by the way.” They lapsed into silence for another minute or two. “So…what do you want to know?”

Ichigo shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never really met one. I only know they exist. The other werewolves I’ve met despise them. I think it’s mutual.”

Rukia snorted. “Yeah preaching to the choir. They think you’re the bane of their existence, actually. Besides blessed water and wooden stakes, you guys are the only things that can kill them.” He heard her sigh. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have said that, either.”

“I was only curious. I won’t go on a vampire hunting spree. I do have another life.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “But if I’m in a fight for my life, I’ll use that information,” he said quietly. 

“Okay,” Rukia said.

He cut her a quick, suspicious look. “You’re going to trust me? Just like that?”

“Why not?” she shrugged.

“Why not?” he repeated angrily. “B-Because I could be a killer. I could be a rapist or a murderer or…well…any type of person that preys on weaker people!”

“But you’re not.”

The quiet confidence in her voice grated on his nerves. “You don’t know that.”

“I think I do.”

“Oh, come on. You’re only twenty-four. You haven’t seen—”

She whirled on him with all the fury of an angered wolverine. “I know what they’re like! I know what they do; how they think, how they groom a person to just accept them and not fight. Besides that potential choking episode, not once have you made a move for me. Not once have really turned to look at me. Not once have you strayed from the road. You don’t have a gun because you don’t need one. You haven’t hurt me, and you won’t because that’s who you are.”

His teeth ground together so hard his jaw ached. How did she deduce all of this? But he felt his wolf just beneath the surface shivering with curiosity. There was information to be discovered from what she said, but he quickly scolded his wolf. He wouldn’t pry. Something like that was private.

Rukia cleared her throat. “I only know that because of a friend of mine. I know how horrible it can be. They’re twice as dangerous because they’re vamps; they’re so much stronger. I was thankfully exempt from it because of my brother-in-law.” Her fists clenched. “That’s all I’m going to say.”

Finally, Ichigo acquiesced. “Okay.” Suddenly, he didn’t want to know anything else about vampires. That was the other reason he’d left that pack without looking back. He might be lonely, but he was sickened by the co-dependency, by the alpha pair’s manipulation of their pack members. They all had their faults.

Thankfully, it seemed as if Rukia didn’t want to talk about vampires, either. She stared at his hands as they sporadically clenched the steering wheel. He could feel his wolf’s desire to escape, that it knew it was his time to run and hunt. Ichigo’s hands shook, his bones shifting slightly. His knuckles whitened.

“Does it hurt?” she whispered, as if talking louder would upset him.

He waved his fingers slowly. “Every time.”

She rubbed her hands. “I’m sorry.”

“I can’t get away from it.” Ichigo shrugged.

“And I can.”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

Rukia nodded, but he still thought she felt guilty. “My brother-in-law said you wolves are mindless—”

He snorted heavily, and she huffed at being interrupted. “We are – at first. But I almost wish that I can’t remember anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

Ichigo hesitated, not sure what he should tell her, but he decided to go for it instead. Where else might he find someone to talk to? He might not really talk to someone for another six months.

“When we’re first bitten, we don’t remember anything the first year or so.” There. That small lie was enough. “I would wake up near a deer and not remember. I would see news reports of people getting mauled, and I had no idea what I did when I changed.” Too close – too much information. Reel it back in. “Now that I remember what I do when I shift… The guilt is overwhelming.”

“But, don’t you know now that you don’t hurt people when you shift?”

“I remember hunting. I remember killing those animals. I remember <em>eating</em> them, enjoying the way their blood and meat tasted.” He’d said that as a way to scare her, but it only made his wolf howl and work that much harder to get out.

Rukia did look scared, but she also appeared apologetic. “I’m so sorry. You must really hate what you are.”

He swallowed difficulty. “Yes.” Suddenly, Ichigo’s fist slammed on the steering wheel. It caused the truck to swerve slightly, and Rukia’s hands flew out to the door and center console to steady herself. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “But I… I didn’t choose this.”

She looked him straight in the eye. “I have no doubts about that.”

Something stirred in the pit of his stomach, but Ichigo dragged his eyes away and focused on the road. His vision was sharpening, blurring occasionally as it sought to focus, and Ichigo knew he had to stop somewhere before leaving to change. She didn’t need to see him like that, and he didn’t want her to be horrified. He didn’t want someone else afraid of what he was.

Vamps were dangerous enough, but they didn’t change forms like werewolves did. They were cold, icy, and still looked human. Once the wolf came out… He was no longer human.

The next rest stop was only a mile away, and Ichigo breathed easier as the blue sign flashed by. He slowed the truck as the exit appeared, and ignored Rukia’s puzzled expression. She waited until they were almost parked to ask.

“What are you doing?”

“You need to stay in my truck for the night. I’m serious. I want you to lock yourself in here. No matter what – don’t let anyone in here.” The engine puttered off.

“Hey—”

Ichigo launched himself out of the cab and nearly bolted around the front of his truck. He barely heard her over the roaring in his ears, and only acknowledged her when she moved in front of him.

“You can’t just leave me here! Hey, uh… Well, whoever you are because you haven’t even told me your name yet: stop!”

“Get back in the cab!” he nearly shouted.

“No! You don’t boss me around!”

He whirled around, his control slowly slipping. “I mean it!”

She stopped, violet eyes wide. “Your eyes.” Rukia swallowed.

“You need to get back into the cab,” Ichigo said, forcing the words passed his strained vocal chords. “Get in that cab and stay there. Whatever you do, don’t run. If you do, I will chase you. I’ll hunt you…”

His throat seized. The fear of hurting her nearly crippled him. She needed to leave! The bones in his face crunched. Fear crept into her eyes, and he felt his stomach drop. She _was_ afraid of him. She had every right to be, but he hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted her acceptance until he saw her draw away. He was still an outcast, still unwanted, and the wolf in him howled in despair.

The sound broke through his throat, and he collapsed to his knees, his arms supporting his upper body. His wolf clawed to the surface, hurt, scared and desperate to run away. Bones cracked and tendons and ligaments stretched. Ichigo threw off his clothes as quickly as he could, but only managed his shirt before hair sprouted through his skin.

Rukia’s startled gasp filtered through his ears, and his wolf whined in response. He didn’t want her afraid of him, but it was just his luck that she was. 

Finally, the pain receded, and Wolf took over.

_He shakes his fur, like shedding old skin, kicking away the other. He looks at her. She stands there, staring. Is it a challenge? Her body says no, but her eyes say yes. Her breath is fast; her heart is pounding. She is fresh, weak. She is prey._

_“Oh my god.”_

_She stares. Fear is sharp, tangy. Something else is in the air, and he sneezes viciously. The scent hurts, stings like acid. He shakes his head, but he knows. It is them. The ones that have fake blood. The ones whose hearts sit still and silent in their chests. The cold ones. Yet her heart beats._

_He growls, challenging. He does not understand, but he must take it down. He must not let it leave! She runs, back towards the giant metal beast that smells like him. He chases. His body is wind, his claws are blades, his jaws are death. He will rip flesh. He will howl his victory._  

_She stops at the thing stinking of exhaust and rust. In one stride he leaps, ready to sink his teeth into the vulnerable flesh at the back of her neck. Then she isn’t there. He cannot stop his momentum. He slams into the metal beast. The crash rings through his ears, marring his senses. His nose stings, and he shakes his head. He looks for his prey, unwilling to let it get away. He wants this one, and he knows he is faster._

_Her scent is in his nostrils, and he runs. His claws dig into the dirt. He follows her into the forest, searching, his long, loping stride easily bringing him closer. An excited yip escapes his throat as he sees her. Her spike of fear is sharp, thrilling his blood as she looks back at him. He lengthens his stride effortlessly._

_He is almost upon her when she turns and yells. His legs lock. Cannot get too close! Touch is foreign, wrong. Instinct tells him where knowledge is lacking. He stops just short of her and stares. She looks in his eyes, snarling. He lowers his head, accepting her challenge. She will be easy to destroy._

_Something crackles near him, and he starts. An attack?_

_Before he can decipher, his head snaps to the side. She is snarling, pouncing on him, and his instincts flare. He paws at her, but she holds something against his neck. Air comes harder to his lungs, and he writhes frantically._

_A paw swipes at her, catches her flesh; he feels it give. She cries out and he kicks her off. She scrambles away as he hurries to his feet. She is weakened, he knows it. But her blood reaches his nostrils and he stops. Something is different, strange. Blood. Not fake, old, rotten, but warm, pulsing, alive._

_He licks his chops, tasting the air as it settles on his whiskers. The particle of coldness that clings to her irritates him, and he sneezes. She is two-legged, safe, human, his other half provides. Not cold, despite the scent. Leaves rustle under her feet, and he looks at her as she backs away from him. Somehow she is suddenly familiar._

_Pack has always eluded him. He is unwanted, never accepted. But her blood calls to him like she could be Pack. Not just Pack – mate._

_She looks at him, wary, and he steps forward. Slowly, head lowered, ears flat, tail sunken. No threat. She doesn’t understand, can’t read the sign. He moves again, repeating._

_He doesn’t know how long they do this. Finally, she stops. Braces on a tree. Nearly collapses on a bed of dead pine needles._

_“And here I thought I was in shape,” she murmurs. The wound has made her weak, and she still smells like fear and him. “Well, this was stupid. Way to go, Rukia! Full moon night, too. Oh, go on. Eat me; I know you want to.”_

_Her heart pounds and she shakes. His other self understands the words, but he tilts his head at her tone. Again, he walks forward. She sits rigidly, bracing. Carefully, he brings his nose to her side. Breath stutters out of her mouth and caresses his fur. It mingles with her blood, and he knows now without knowing how he knows that she is his mate._

_His ears and tail droop, trying to tell her he is sorry. He didn’t understand she was his. Still, she does not move. Does not understand. Moves away from him. He whines, and she stops. So he does what he knows. He turns, giving her his back – his trust – and lays down in front of her._

_With another lick of his chops he relaxes. Ears swivel to catch her breathing, listen to her heart rate slow. This time, she doesn’t move. She whispers. He can’t understand it, but the two-legged side of him knows there is no longer fear. It is still close, beneath the surface, but not there now._

_A hand – naked, human – sinks into his fur. He is startled, his head launching from his paws. She breathes sharply, her hand gone. He whines, apologetic for scaring her. Carefully, her hand presses into his fur once more.  It soothes, the touch both tingling and strange. He turns to her, licks her hand because he wants her to know she’s okay._

_She whispers again. He still can’t understand, but he closes his eyes and rests._

Dawn approached. Ichigo could feel it more than he saw it. The forest around him was gray, and he pushed himself onto his elbows and glanced around. A small breeze brushed against his naked skin, goose bumps prickling all over his body. He was still disoriented; he often woke up in different forests, but he always remembered planning the spot he shifted. He didn’t remember checking this one. 

A light scent reached his nostrils, and he whirled around. Rukia sat cross-legged, shivering. Her eyes studied him warily, and her hands absentmindedly rubbed over her arms. He couldn’t decipher the look on her face, and just stared at her. Finally, she quietly broke the silence.

“I have lived with vampires since I was ten. I have seen new vampires made and I’ve seen vampires die. But whatever happened last night… You need to explain that to me.”

Ichigo swallowed, but his voice grated roughly out of his throat. “What part?”

“Everything. The shifting, you chasing me, trying to _kill me_ and then…” She put a hand to her forehead and huffed. “You just need to explain everything.”

Slowly, the memories came back from previous night. Just thinking what his wolf had wanted to do nearly had him gagging. He simply sat straighter and stared out in front of him.

“Your brother was right,” he said lowly. “Werewolves are volatile.”

She growled, and Ichigo quirked a smile at how vicious she tried to sound. “That’s not an answer. I said explain and I meant it.”

He looked at her, the pale light of dawn illuminating what night had kept hidden. Her lips were colorless, no doubt from the cold. Her pupils were overly bright, despite the graying bags under her eyes. There were bits of leaves and twigs entwined in her hair, and it stuck out at all angles from her head.

Despite all of that, it was the determination in her eyes that gave him pause. She was cold – he could see the goosebumps on her skin – but the set of her eyebrows and thin line her lips formed told him that she was also angry. Okay, maybe not anger, but without a doubt he knew she wasn’t leaving until he told her exactly what he remembered.

With a sigh he ran his hand through his own hair, brushing out bits of nature he had accumulated as well. “It’s…a little fuzzy.”

“You said you remembered,” she fired off quickly, accusingly.

“I do,” he grumbled, looking at her sharply. Wolf was tired, exhausted even, but he could still feel it lurking near the surface, extremely interested in the woman sitting near him. When she rigidly sat back an inch, Ichigo knew Wolf was there in his eyes.

“Look, it’s all a jumble. I have to put it all together. It takes a while.”

She mumbled something unintelligible, and proceeded to pick the debris from her hair as he thought. He remembered going after her – but why? Many times, the actions remained, but the causes were a little harder to recall. Another light breeze rustled through the trees, and he froze.

 _The cold ones. Must hunt. Must destroy. Do not let them live!_ The instinctual reaction to that smell had his muscles trembling, and not in fear.

Vampires. He’d never met one, and the only time he did couldn’t be considered a “meet”.  Ichigo had stepped into the bar, only interested in drinking a relaxing beer before passing out in the cab before the smell hit him like a punch in the chest. It burned through his nose like acid, and his eyes frantically searched the bar. No one paid any attention to him except for one. She was across the room, carrying a tray of empty drinks. As she sauntered to the bar, her eyes snagged his. 

Wolf was howling, struggling, clawing at his throat. _Danger! Run! Faster on four legs than two_ , his instincts had screamed at him. It had only been five seconds since he’d entered and now he stumbled back out, the wolf coming so fast he couldn’t prepare. He’d fallen to the ground and shifted right there for anyone to see. Thankfully, no one had.

Later, he’d found out from some other wolves that she was a vampire due to the effect it had on him. He knew the smell, but he couldn’t really say he’d ever met one. Besides, Rukia didn’t count. She was completely human.

“Do you remember now?”

Her soft voice jerked her from his thoughts, and he looked at her. Most of the forest particles were gone from her hair, but she still looked disgruntled. He nodded, and glanced over at her.

“I didn’t want you to see that. Vampires… Even when their fangs come out they still look human – hands, arms, legs, feet. We change completely. Our bones break and reform. We sprout hair.”

“How does that even work?”

Ichigo shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t even explain how it doesn’t tear us apart. I guess it’s like vampires sucking blood and never aging, I guess.”

“Well, it’s definitely less of a shock.”

He shot her a small smile before turning serious again. “That’s what he smelled. Vampire. You still smell like them; so he wanted to kill you. Our natural instinct is to hunt them, I guess.”

“Oh,” she murmured, rubbing her arms again. She twirled the thoughts in her mind for a minute before looking back at him. “Okay, so what about the rest? You scratched me—”

“You were choking me!”

“Because you were trying to kill me!”

He had no response to that and huffed, looking away. During their shouts she had stretched forward, hands on either side of her and legs crossed like an Indian. Now, she relaxed, and cleared her throat.

“You scratched me, and then I don’t know what happened but you just…stopped. And then you did this walk towards me—”

“Tail down, head level.” Ichigo’s eyes bored into hers. “He was trying to tell you he wasn’t going to attack.” He didn’t want to say it – didn’t want her to know. But considering how long she was now staring at him and he wasn’t shrinking or angry at the challenge, spoke volumes. What had happened last night was real. His wolf _had_  recognized her as its mate. The problem was: just what the hell did that entail?

Finally, she looked away. “Well, I didn’t know. I haven’t spent much time around animals. All of them were petrified of the vamps. I had a bunny – Mr. Squiggles. He was my birthday present. He died a week after I got him. Vets said he was literally so scared that his heart failed.”

“That’s…” Ichigo shook his head. “I can’t decide if that’s sad or funny.”

A corner of Rukia’s mouth twitched. “It just might be a bit of both.” But after a moment, she scooted a little closer to him. He almost skittered away, swallowing the whine of longing that had nearly slipped loose. Rukia looked hurt, but pressed on. “There’s something else, Ichigo; something you’re not telling me. He… Well, you, I guess – laid down next to me and you just kept licking me. Doesn’t that mean something?”

Heat suffused his face, and he knew without looking that Rukia cocked her head in confusion.

“Hey. What is it?”

“This is going to sound crazy, but when he smelled your blood, he recognized you.”

“Recognize me? But I hadn’t even met you before yesterday.”

“I know.” He looked at her, and suddenly, her eyes grew impossibly round.

“Oh, no. Don’t tell me it’s…”

Ichigo coughed. “You know about it?”

“The whole ‘imprinting/werewolves find their mates by scenting their blood thing’? Yeah, the vamps told me about it a while back. I thought it was just something they told me to scare me out of looking for werewolves.”

“Ah, no.”

“You mean…they weren’t lying?”

He shook his head.

“Oh, God. You’re serious.” She put a hand to her forehead and spoke slowly. “You mean to say that I am your mate?”

“Apparently so.”

She expelled a sharp breath and sat back on her heels. “I don’t even know your name yet.”

“It’s Ichigo.” He said it quietly, as if he were embarrassed. And he was. This girl had just turned twenty-four and here he was at almost twenty-eight claiming she was his soulmate! He didn’t even know her! “Look, I’m… I’m really sorry. But it’s not something I can control. I only know a little about it – when I managed to meet a pack and they didn’t immediately run me out of town.”

Rukia stared at him, her gaze piercing.

He wriggled uncomfortably, his insecurity quickly morphing to anger at the perceived challenge in her gaze. “Would you stop staring?” he snapped. Quickly, she averted her eyes. Guilt spread through his chest and he tugged at his hair in frustration. He exhaled and forced himself to say quietly, “Werewolves see staring as a challenge. The longer you look me in the eye, the greater the challenge is. It’s fine as long as you look away occasionally. It’s just… It’s hard when _I_ know you’re just looking at me, but he doesn’t see that.”

“Would he…or, well, you hurt me?” Her eyes narrowed as she spoke.

“No. I mean, I don’t think so… I don’t know. I’ve never been in this situation before. He doesn’t like this…whatever this is; I feel agitated and snappish and I know that’s him. But I don’t want to attack you.”

“Well,” she started slowly, shrugging. “It could be worse.”

“Worse?” he nearly shouted. “How the hell could it be worse?”

“You could’ve imprinted on a vampire.”

They stared at each other, and this time, he wasn’t so agitated. Then, her eyes sparkled, and her lips puckered as she tried to hold in a smile. But it burst across her face, and a dimple dented her left cheek. It lit her entire face, and he swore he’d never seen anyone smile that like. Soon, he was smiling, too, and joined her when she fell back against the leaves and laughed.

He crawled to her, over her, wanting to be close, for her laughter to touch him, and abruptly it halted. His face reddened and he backed away quickly.

“S-Sorry,” he stuttered. “Sometimes, he gets in my head, and I can’t tell if I’m wolf or human anymore.”

“I-It’s fine.” She looked equally red as she tripped over her words. Her hair was once again covered with nature, but he thought she looked wonderful. Rukia opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again, as if nervous.

Ichigo couldn’t resist the urge to scoot just a little closer. “What is it?”

“Ah, well…” She scratched her head, looking anywhere but at him. Yet to his relief, she didn’t move away. “Well, your wolf side is sorted out… I don’t think it’d be a terrible idea to…sort out the human side.” Finally, her violet eyes flicked to his, and he saw the trepidation, the willingness, the hope, the fear, everything in her gaze.

“You’d want to try?”

“I think so.” Her whispered words were a puff of breath against his face.

“I’d like that.”

Small yet hopeful, Rukia’s smile played on the edge of his vision again. He leaned just a little closer, and still she didn’t move.

“But I’d have to tell my brother,” she suddenly blurted.

Ichigo blew out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, and fell against a nearby tree trunk. There went the moment. “Well, damn.”

“Oh, come on, it won’t be that bad. Otherwise he’d think you kidnapped me. All he’ll do is maybe fight you, say I must’ve gotten pregnant and that you must marry me—”

“Hey!" 

At her mischievous smile, Wolf whined. Ichigo, too, felt the playfulness of her countenance, and scrambled to rise. “You’ll pay for that!”

With a scream she was on her feet and running, her laughter echoing off of the forest as Ichigo gave chase. He grinned wider than he had in a long time.

Perhaps sorting out the human side would be more fun than anything else.

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> Well there’s that. Hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought!


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